Halo: Reassigned
Prologue "Twenty eight Marines and fourteen crewmen dead, sir." "The Covenant, trust them not to give notice of a pending attack. Bastards. Anyone else left?" Asked the Captain of the ship. "Scanning. Yes, five vital signs in Cryo Storage-B." Just as the AI Jessica answered, a loud thud came from the nearby door, louder than all those prior. "Who are they? Marines? Ops? Them?" Asked a now nervous Captain. "Give me a minute..." More thudding came from the door, this time multiple charges could be heard. Their patience had run out, they were coming in. "I need an answer now, Jessica." "Sir, this ship's falling to pieces, it is quite hard to-" "Now!" Never had the Captain's voice been heard this loud. The sound of plasma burning through the metal bulkhead could now be heard. "Spartans, sir. Five of them." Replied the soft voice of Jessica. "Jessica, disengage all cryo pods and send them to ground, they've just been reassigned." With a smirk now on his face, the Captain opened his eyes and looked down towards the floor. "Done, and what about you, sir?" "We both know Jess, gotta follow the CP, we're going down with the ship." "Sir, one more thing, look behind you." Act 1 December 19th, 2549 "There we go. Two hundred papers, all read and signed. Could you please go off and post them." "You should really run this through ONI first, you know any info about the Two's comes from their guys. One more thing, any favours you request should be ended with sir," Replied a gritty voice from another room. "Point noted, sir. But we both know that they would never allow it." "Keyes, if I didn't have the upmost respect for you, I'd have you demoted in an instant, but consider your papers as good as gone." As Keyes got to his feet, he prepped his jacket and pushed his chair in quietly. As Keyes handed his commanding officer the papers, he saluted him with his charred hand, before exiting the room. As the door closed Keyes let out a sigh of relief, knowing that the crucial papers would reach intended eyes. December 20th, 2549 '' '... so it is with great sadness that I must inform you of Admiral Jones' death. He, as well as all hands on the Ulverstone perished with the ship. ' '' Read a solider designated as 'A-004'. "Sir, it's been several weeks, surely we should tell them that-." "Before we get into that one again, Harrison, let me remind you that we have no guaranteed form of secure communications." A-004 interrupted. "The last thing we need is to jeopardise the boys back home." As A-004 finished his sentence, he looked over towards two armoured individuals lying unconsciously on a bench top. "They're our priority." "Understood." Replied Harrison. Just then a fifth individual entered the room, this one clad in the same armour as the rest in the room, marked as 'B-109'. "Good news, sir." "Let me hear it, Mel." Replied A-004. "I spent four hours surveying the surrounding mountains, valleys, rivers, you name it. Absolutely no signs of Covenant activity. It's been this way for five days. We all know what this means." "Good work, Mel. But we still do not contact them until our boys are conscious from the cryo pods making landfall." A-004 didn't sound moved by the news. "How long will that be?" Asked Mel. Just as A-004 was about to reply, one of the once unconscious individuals replied. "You tell me." December 22nd, 2549 "Sir, about the papers the other day, all intended vectors have read it. But it appears I was mistaken." Said the anxious voice of Keyes. "About?" Asked his commanding officer. "Well, Brass reports that not all people on board the Ulverstone perished." "Impossible! But nevertheless, great news. Who and where are they?" The officer was sounding just as anxious as Keyes by the end of his last sentence. He motioned for the phone before Keyes started talking. "The news could not get any better. The survivors are the Spartan team that was stationed on board the ship. Tiger Team to be more accurate. Or SPARTAN B-109, SPARTAN B-110, SPARTAN B-111, SPARTAN B-290 and team leader, SPARTAN A-004 to be exact. All in standar issue MJOLNIR Mark IV powered armour." It was obvious that Keyes was reading, the officer asked for the document and soon scouted through it. "Why is their location not mentioned?" He asked. "They’re in uncharted space. Covenant space." Keyes said. "Where was the Ulverstone intending to go?" Asked the officer. "No where I think. Routine space patrol." A grim look now shadowed the officer's face. He knew something that Keyes knew he couldn't know. "Send a message back, we can't send an extraction fleet." Said his monotonous voice. Keyes was about to respond, before assessing the situation and following his commanding officer's orders. December 23rd, 2549 "Spartans, we have ourselves a reply." Yelled A-004. "I'm not going to be bothered reading it all but it basically says that we can't be '' 'Strategically extracted' '' due to '' 'an overwhelming Covenant force' '' detected near our position. Now I know I'm not a sceptic. But this sounds like a bunch of conjured up by ONI. Mel has checked our surroundings. Nothing is here." "What does that mean for us?" Asked Mel. "We ain't going nowhere." Answered B-290, but 'Roger' as his armour said. "Don't you guys worry. ONI wouldn't leave us out here without a reason. Something is going on or around this planet, and it's Covenant related. By the way, any word on what planet we're on, Tobias?" "Absolutely nothin'. Though I did pick up that these buildings we're holed up in were used by the Insurrectionists a few years back. But the records cease after 2544." Replied Tobias, as he switched off the computer. "Well, considering we got no command, no weapons and no way off, we should find out what the Covenant are doing here!" Exclaimed A-004. Obviously annoyed at the fact that they were not going to be leaving any time soon, but a good enough leader not to let it show. "Mel, Tobias, B-290. You three are going to check the area twenty kilometres up stream. We haven't been that far yet. Meanwhile Harrison, you're with me. We'll check the rest of these buildings for something of... 'use'." As the three exited the room, Tobias began to speak. "Why has number 4 never told us his name?" "He doesn't think that highly of us yet." Replied Mel. "Does anyone else find it odd that he is the only 'A' in this team?" Tobias was at it again with another question. As he turned from Mel back to the direction he was walking, he was met with the intimidating voice of B-290. "A-004's original team was wiped out during their op on Pegasi India. And as for the name, he's just like me, not proud of it." A voice like Roger's was always an intimidating one, regardless of UNSC personnel of Covenant forces hearing it. Roger had in fact heard A-004 referred to by his first name during the Battle of Peavey-IV. But had never repeated it to anyone. "Companies and names aside, we're nothing but Tiger Team. The most bad ass group of Spartans known to the Covenant." Tobias said after several minutes of silence. As he was about to continue, he was hushed by Mel, who motioned for them to go prone as her helmet cam was turned on. "What is that?" Whispered Tobias. Act 2 August 2, 2537 "We have got no choice, we have to jump down the cliff!" Exclaimed A-004. As plasma fire rained down upon them. "Chances are we won't survive the fall. Replied SPARTAN A-233, the leader of his team. Several Elites spotted the four and began charging towards them, with dozens more in tow. "Now, sir, trust me on this one!" Yelled A-004. "Spartans, jump!" As the four S-IIIs leaped into the canyon, scores of plasma bolts rushed past them, the sound of them missing their armour was far too frequent. They soon hit the ground, and hard. "Spartans, get up and respond!" Said the desperate voice of A-233 through their comms. "I'm good, sir." Answered A-004. "As am I" Said A-188 "What about Caleb? Anyone see or hear from him?" Asked a desperate team leader. "I found him. He's dead." Replied A-004. The remainder of the team met at the body of Caleb. After thoroughly checking his vital signs several times over, they knew he was no longer with them. As they looked up, a cascade of coordinated plasma bolts descended upon them. Dodging them was going to be comparable to dodging rain. "Spartans, good luck." Mumbled A-233. Soon enough the three were met with a wave of plasma, thanks to the augmentations, the majority of the shots missed, but the team leader was not so lucky. "I suggest we move sir. Sir do you copy? Sir?!" Panicked A-188. "He's dead, Connor." A-004 said. And he was right. A-233's body was scorched by plasma during the bombardment, his midsection was clearly visible, as was alot more of his body. As they came to terms with the loss, they noticed the lack of battle noises up the cliffs. "You think it's over?" Asked Connor. "Umm, yeah, maybe." Replied A-004. Looked up towards where the battle had just taken place. "Did we win?" Asked Connor again. "What do you think?" As the two stood their in silence, they looked at each other, then down either end of the expansive canyon. "What do we do, Connor?" As Connor was about to answer, a single plasma bolt struck him in the shoulder, sending him to the ground. As he cringed in pain, another volley of plasma descended upon them. "Damn it get up, we have to get you out of the way, or your smoked!" Bellowed A-004. "Look at me, I'm not going anywhere." Stammered Connor. "Just run, I'll be fine." A-004, ignored Connor and began to drag Connor down the canyon. The plasma fire drowned out Connor's screams of agony as he was dragged down the canyon. Soon A-004 let go of him, and collapsed in an exhausted heap. "Connor, did you get hit again?" Asked A-004. Upon seeing Connor's lifeless body next to him, he fainted. Not being able to come to terms with the massacre of his fellow Spartans and teammates he had just whitnessed. August 4, 2537 It was almost forty house before A-004 awoke. To his horror he found that the majority of the dead Spartans had been thrown into the canyon. As he stumbled to his feet, he set his helmet camera to record and proceeded to walk down the canyon. "Kurt, are you getting this?" Asked Dr. Halsey. "You know I am. You know I'm not watching it either." He replied. "What do we do about A-004, he's giving us a live feed, he is obviously alive." She asked. "What can we do? He are in Covenant space, and on a Covenant-controlled asteroid. He is as good as dead." Mumbled Kurt, obviously affected at the result of this suicidal conflict. "Why can't we have a greater say in what these poor souls do? No matter what degree of training I put them through, Ackerson will always send them on a suicide mission to buy the UNSC more time. I understand what he is doing, but I don't support the way in which he does it." "What would you do in his situation, Kurt?" Halsey asked. "I don't know. But definately not this. Spartans should be defending our worlds, not attacking theirs. Catherine, prep up a Pelican and a squad of ODSTs, tell them to go get A-004." Ordered Kurt. While Hasley knew she was not technically in the right position to order things like these, she knew she could pull some strings and have a Pelican sent off within the hour, and it was. "Ma'am, how do you expect us to get through their orbital defences?" Asked a pilot. "This Pelican is undetectable to all known radar technology, it's what Kurt was abducted in." Said Halsey, with a surprised look on her face at the information she had just accidentally relased. "Who's Kurt?" "Nobody, just get this Pelican back in one piece, you hear me?" Yelled Halsey as the thrusters turned on. August 5, 2537 "Do you have the lock on his position?" Asked a pilot. "You bet I do." Replied the other. "Alright. Gentlemen, prep your gear and get ready, we want this done within fifteen seconds." Said the main pilot through the speakers. As the sound of MA5s and SRS 99s loading up filled the troop bay, the hatch opened. Only metres below them was A-004. As A-004 looked above him, he readied his combat knife, until he saw the typical silhouette and calmed his nerves. "Are you SPARTAN 004 of Alpha Company?" Asked an ODST. "Yes, why?" Replied A-004. "We're your ride off this rock." And within moments A-004 was on the Pelican and off of the asteroid. "If it's and consolation, your op was a success." Said an ODST. It was at that moment that A-004 took off his helmet, glared at the ODST and then stood up. He walked across the crowded troop bay and put his hand around his neck. "Soldier, I lost two hundred and ninety nine of my fellow soldiers in 'My op'. Regardless of the reactors being decommissioned or not, this was not a success." A-004 had never sounded so sinister. As numerous ODSTs around him stood up, A-004 released the soldier's neck and sat back down, before putting his helmet back on and falling to sleep. No one said a thing, no ODST in the Pelican was game to take on a two metre tall super soldier. December 23rd, 2549 "That? That is a... I don't know, but it is Covenant, and it is massive!" Replied Mel. Before the three Spartan's stood a gigantic Covenant structure. Mainly spherical in design, it had an open top in which a pulsating blue hue could be seen. Numerous Sprit Dropships and Phantoms had the airspace covered. "Sir, are you getting this?" Mel asked A-004 through the comms. "You bet I am, okay, record for a few more minutes then comwe back to my location. We found an insurrectionist weapon cache." As Mel went to return to B-290 and Tobias, a deafening sound pierced her hears. Unlike anything she heard before. A magnificant blue light shot out of the top of the Covenant structure into the skies above. "Mel, what the hell was that?" Said A-004 through the comms, as even he and Harrison heard it. "No idea, but it was loud!" She replied. Soon after Tiger Team was back together at the abandoned weapons cache. Numerous MA5s lined a table. With several magazines next to each one. Behind the table stood a locked cabinet with several chains around it. "It ain't much, but it will do." Said Harrison. "What's in the cabinet?" Asked Tobias. "We don't know." Replied Harrison, "But we think its the heavy weaponry. Just give me a minute to pick the locks." "No need, I have the key right here." Whispered B-290 as he clenched his fist. He took several colossal swings at the cabinet, breaking through all the chains and knocking the door off. "Thanks for that, Roger." Said an annoyed Harrison. In the cabinet was a weapon unknown to any of the Spartans present. On the side it read 'SRS99-X Class'. It was obviously in the general shape of the typical sniper rifle issued to the UNSC Navy, but this one had two barrels and an enormous scope. "Spartans, I don't have the slightest idea what this is, but it looks mighty helpful." Said A-004. Though he his helmet was on, anyone in the room could tell he was smiling under the Mk IV armour. "Sir, back on topic. Do you want me to relay a message back to them?" Queried Mel. "It would cause nothing but panic amongst ONI and the rest. We have to find out what it is first." A-004 remarked. As A-004 finished his sentence, he looked out a nearby window to see another column of blue light shoot into space. He knew it wasn't a weapon, because they were in Covenant space. "About what you found. Go ahead and report it to them, but tell them it is not a weapon. That will keep their fear levels down." "Aye sir." Replied Mel in her thick scottish accent. "Tobias, start recording this weapon we found, see if anyone back at base knows what is is. Roger and Harrison, take these rifles back to our makeshift base and Mel, join me once you're done with the message." A-004 ordered. Tobias didn't seem to mind his task, while Roger and Harrison weren't so impressed with having to lug dozens of rifles several kilometres. As soon as Mel finished sending the message she rejoined A-004. "Mel, how long have we been in this team for?" Asked A-004. "Seven years sir, why?" She asked, obviously confused. "That is how far we are from UNSC controlled space." A-004 whispered. "That's impossible, we both know our last steps before entering cryo sleep. We did not travel that far." Mel sounded annoyed at what seemed to be such a ridiculous claim. "I am aware of that, but I was not put into cryo sleep when you four were. I was put in some time later, I don't know when. All I know is after you all were frozen, Captain Smith spoke to me of our mission directly from ONI. We were to infiltrate and destroy a Covenant Frigate with the fastest slip space speed ever observed." "How fast could it go, A?" Asked Mel. "Well, I don't know the exact speed, but the distance it could jump puts it seven years ahead of any UNSC Cruiser, Carrier or Corvette. While being told of the mission Smith mentioned that the Covenant were harnessing this power from an unknown source on an abandoned planet." Mel stood quiet for a second, before talking. "You don't mean this planet do you, sir?" She asked. "I think it's obvious I do, Mel." December 24th, 2549 "You getting this, Keyes?" "Yes sir, an unidentified weapon and an immense Covenant structure." "Good work, Terry. Now file them through to ONI, they need to see this." Instructed the officer. Just then a figure appeared in the room. Standing taller than both men in there, the person spoke. "I am ONI operative, Scoundrel. Do not relay the message through to ONI, we know it all." After taking a short breath, Scoundrel continued. "Our classified branch in Kenya has been observing all your actions of the past few days. Major Henry Rudd and Captain Terry Keyes, you will not be in any trouble for your disregard for reporting news through to us. Instead, I ask for you to cease communications with Tiger Team, as we are aware on their whereabouts and how they got there. A chilling silence filled the room. Many questions raced through the minds of Keyes and Rudd. Knowing he would not get an answer to any of them, Keyes handed over all recorded information that had been relayed to them by A-004. "Thank you, that is all." In a heartbeat, Scoundrel was gone. "That can't be his real name, can it?" Asked Keyes. Act 3 December 24th, 2549 "You have your orders, fufill them without incident, and extraction will be waiting for you back in the town." "You heard Scoundrel, suit up Spartans and be ready to move in five." A-004 sounded fired up, undoubtedly looking forward to getting off the planet. "We got our orders, team. While we're going to complete them, we are doing things my way." He said. As the Spartans exited the bulding, the now usual beam of blue energy appeared on the horizon. For the past two days it had remained constant, always shooting off once every four hours. It was quite the trek, it took five hours but they eventually made it to where Mel first spied the Covenant structure. "For a little motivation, I thought I might tell you what this thing is exactly we're going to blow up. It is basically a gigantic fuel supply for Covenant starships. But what it pumps into Covenant ships enables them to travel up to twenty times faster than they have been able to in the past. That massive blue beam we see is how the ships are refueled. The good news is only several Covenant ships are testing this out. The bad news is that it's guarded by somewhere between one thousand and three million troopers." Said A-004. "Atleast ONI gave us an accurate estimate." Mumbled a sarcastic Roger. There was no more than three kilometres separating the Spartans form their goal. However, the hoardes of Covenant troops wouldn't let them pass through too easily. "Sir, look sharp. They know we're here!" Panicked Mel. And she was right, numerous patrols of Elites uncloaked themselves, as well as a Grunt lance, acompanying them was a squadron of Banshees. "Follow my voice, Spartans!" The Spartans lept off their feet and in no time were aiming for a gap in the patrols. Plasma fire opened up. "Roger, Mel, with me. Others, break left." A-004 desperately yelled. All the Spartans knew this move, they were to run right around the outside of the forces, so the Covenant fire would be less focused and coming from one direction.Luckily for Tiger Team they could outrun plasma bolts. Of most kinds. "Roger, break right now!" And Roger did, he darted through the Unggoy lance, before breaking left. A-004, over the speaker, then said, "Spartans, those banshees are shooting too fast, jump down the ravine." Without word they jumped, thankfully the leap was only a dozen metres down, and underneath lay a cave unbeknownst to the Covenant. "Roll call, who's here?" Asked A-004. As each Spartan said their name, he noticed one lacking voice. "Mel... Where is she?" Stammered A-004. "In my arms, sir." Said a hapless Roger. And she was. Mel lay in Roger's arms. Dead. Her left arm was melted away to the bone, her backside was scorched to the flesh and her helmet had given way under the plasma fire.